They actually used katakana for something on this page.
So far the most trouble I have are with the vocab in kana.
They actually used katakana for something on this page.
So far the most trouble I have are with the vocab in kana.
Hello, this is my first time joining a book club and just wanted to say that I’m glad I did! It’s been a big help. Special shout out to all the people that put up full page translations. よくできました! It would take so much longer to read without y’all.
On a side note, I’ve made some aesthetic changes to the google spreadsheet that I think makes it easier to look through. Sorry for changing it on my own^^;; Not sure if anyone moderates it but let me know if it needs to be changed back!
Page 12. Also requesting help with Onomatopoeic or mimetic words.
山野さんが よく 見ると、かやの 葉の 緑に かくれるように して、きつねの 住んで いたらしい 小さな 穴が、あちらにも こちらにも あるのです。 When Yamano-san looks closely, here and there the green bamboo leaves act like covers (concealers) for small holes that seem to have been where foxes were living.
よく (良く) adverbial form of 良い well、 often
かくれる (隠れる)to hide; to be hidden; to conceal oneself; to disappear Other forms 匿れる 【かくれる】
らしい Auxiliary adjective
「ほう、ほう、こりゃあ、いい。」 Oh! I say! Excellent.
ほう 1. oh; ho; exclamation of surprise, admiration, etc
こりゃ Expression
むねが わくわくして きました。 かちっ、かちっ。 It made his heart become excited. Lub, dub. (His heart raced with excitement?) I got the idea but cannot really translate it properly.
むねが わくわくして きました。
Heart is the subject
Became is the primary verb
わくわくAdverb, Suru verb? Onomatopoeic or mimetic word
して inflection of する, with Te-form. It is a connective form of the verb.
山野さんは、むちゆうで シャシターを きりはじめました。 Mr. Yamano ecstatically began opening the camera shutter (taking pictures).
むちゆう (夢中) Na-adjective, No-adjective, Noun
シャシター Noun shattā camera shutter
きりはじめました could be an inflection of きる, with Masu-form. It is the polite form of the verb. Ta-form. It indicates the past tense of the verb.
やっと 写真を うつすのを やめた とき、ちょうど、「すんだかね」。 At last, at the precise moment when he stopped taking pictures, “Are you done?”
やっとOnomatopoeic or mimetic word
Adverb 1. at last; at length
Oh, I know, but I figured a full stop was a good place to stop anyway.
Which page? 12? シャッター? That’s not a word that’s been weirdly written in katakana - that’s an English word.
I figured it was an expression on the pattern of 胸が躍る rather than directly reading it as “his chest went wakuwaku”. かちっ、かちっ is the sound of his camera, either way.
I know it’s an English word. Just surprised because even with onomatopoeic words they prefer conveying it in hiragana, so it jumps out.
Page 13
と 言う 声が しました。 said a voice
振り返ると、もう ちゃんと、松蔵じいさんが 立って いたのです。 When turned around , Mr. Matsuzou was already standing up straight.
「ええ、おかげさまで。」 Yes, thanks to you.
と、山野さんが 白い ぼうしを とって、れいを 言いかけると、松蔵じいさんは、いかにも うるさそうに 手を ふって さえぎりました。 When Mr. Yamano took off his white hat and started to say thanks, Mr Matsuzou waved his hand as if really annoyed and interrupted him.
そして、そばの 松の 木を とんとんと 叩いて、「とび吉、こっちへ、こう。」 Then he knocked on the nearby pine tree with a tapping sound , “Tobiyoshi come here”
と、よびました。 he called out
すると、辺りの 木が いっせいに ざざっと ゆれて よびました。 Whereupon, the nearby trees swayed in unision and called out.
Page 14:
とび吉 こっちへ こう それから、林の 木が こだまするように じゅんじゅんに さけびながら、葉を ゆすりだしたのです。
Tobikira come here and then in order to keep the spirit of the tree while screaming shake the leave What?? I don’t think I got it right at all
こっちへ (x3)
this way
I’m pretty sure the super-indented lines are the trees speaking.
I wonder if it’s
それから、林の 木が こだまするように じゅんじゅんに さけびながら、葉を ゆすりだしたのです。
And then the trees of the forest, in order to echo(?), one by one with a shout(??), shook their leaves(???).
??
And then the trees of the forest, as if in echo, shouted out one by one and shook their leaves.
??
I’m just picturing Matsuzou-jisan’s call loudly echoing through the forest and bouncing off the trees. Which happen to be rustling or something. Or… are the trees alive??
so… what would be a good translation???
Also, I didn’t add the last sentence because I didn’t have time
All trees are alive. But yeah, I’m pretty sure the trees are actually speaking here. A midnight bark, sort of thing (uh… no pun intended).
page 14
とびまち こっちへ こう それから、林の 木が こだまするように じゅんじゅんに さけびながら 葉を ゆすりだしたのです。 Tobiyoshi come over here, and then, the leaves started shaking while crying out one after another as the line of trees echoed.
こっち Noun 1. this way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker); this direction
方 【へ、辺】3. suffix used as a rough indicator of location, direction, time, etc.
こうAdverb 1. in this way; thus; such
それから (其れから)Expression
林Noun
woods; forest; copse; thicket
bunch; line (of something); collection
こだまするように
木魂するように like a tree spirit??? Might explain literally why the trees speak
こだまする様に like echoing??? might be the trees speaking figuratively
じゅんじゅんに
順々Adverb, Noun 1. in order; in turn
諄々 Taru-adjective, Adverb taking the ‘to’ particle 1. earnestly; repeatedly; patiently
さけび Noun 1. shout; scream; outcry
ながらParticle 1. while; during; as
ゆすりだした inflection of ゆする, with Ta-form. It indicates the past tense of the verb.
揺するGodan verb with ru ending, Transitive verb 1. to shake; to jolt; to rock (cradle); to swing
こっちへ こう こっちへ こう こっちへ こう come over here, come over here, come over here
This is not in quotes so could be figurative way of expressing the echoing. It is indented so could be a way of literally quoting the trees/tree spirits
「来たよ。」おや、かわいい 声が。
Hey, I came. Oh it’s a cute (innocent, precious) voice
が at the end of the sentence suggests an unfinished thought or “but”; not sure how this works here… I added the verb to make if flow… almost wrote My what a precious voice as if someone is commenting on the sound of the echoing.
そこには、もう、小さない がぐり頭の とび町が、にこにこして 立って いました。 Before long, there was the small close cropped head of Tobiyoshi who smiled and stood.
can’t figure out the grammar here; I want the second part to be a relative clause.but do not see how “who” is present in the Japanese.
If this were the case here, it would have to be かわいい声だが.
This is probably just an omitted verb, maybe something like かわいい声が(聞こえました) or かわいい声が(言いました).
Long day at work today…Will do two pages tomorrow.
I’ll try too
Page 15
「なんぞ 用かい? おじい。」
"What do you want me to do granpa?
松ぞうじいさんは うなずいて、ふしくれだった 手を ちょっと かざすように して、ちょうど 顔に 当たって いる 夕日の 光を さえぎりながら 言いました。
Matsuzou-jin nodded, enterlaced and hold his hands for a moment and while blocking the light of the setting sun with exactly his head said
「近道を いそいで、ふもとの 三本松まで あんないするだ。山の 日は、はよう しずむで。」
I will lead you from the bottom of the three trees by a quick shortcut. The day on the mountain ends early.
それは、思いがけないほど やさしい 声でした。
That was with an unexpected plain voice
Where is everyone? I’m pretty sure the translation is wrong, especially the first sentence…
And we should be doing page 17 today…
Edit:
Actually today:
He isn’t blocking the sun with his head, he is holding up his hand (手をかざす), and while blocking (さえぎりながら) the evening sun directly shining onto his face (顔に当たっている夕日), he says […]
this rather means gentle voice (優しい, not 易しい)
Regarding the first sentence: I think your translation fine, I would probably translate it as “Should I do something?” / “Do you have something that you want me to do?”, to emphasize that it’s more asking about whether or not there is a 用, but I think your translation works as well.
Page 16:
うん、わかってる、と、とび吉が うなずいた とき、 山野さんは、むかいあった 二人を ぱちりと うつしました。
Yes, understood, said Tobikichi nodding and Yamano-san faced him and took a picture of both of them Or I am translating something wrong, or I’m getting lost on what’s going on…
三日、すぎました。
3 days later (3 days passed)
ここは、東京の どまん中。
Right in the center of Tokyo
新聞社の 十一階です。
In the 11th floor of the newspaper company
午後四時。
4PM
この 時間の へんしゅう室と きたら、にぎやかすぎて うるさいほどです。
At this time in the editing room, it’s very noisy Not sure about this sentence
電話が 鳴り、話し声が ひっきりなしに つづいて います。
The phone rang and the speaking voice is incessantly continuing talking